Nine teams of science, maths and engineering students from the University of Cambridge took part last week in a Student Robot Challenge hosted by MathWorks.
This is another example of an industry-backed initiative to encourage more science, maths and engineering students to learn hands-on programming skills.
Another initiative of this kind is the Raspberry Pi computing platform which sells for under £30 and is being used to improve programming skills in schools and colleges.
The longer term aim of companies is to have engineering graduates better prepared to solve real world engineering problems.
"The MathWorks Simulink Robot Challenge is a great example of how we're working with industry to help prepare students effectively for their future careers," said Professor Jan Maciejowski, Head of the Information Engineering Division at the University of Cambridge.
